The present invention pertains in general to a foldable container and in particular to a disposable cooler comprising an integral blank of containerboard foldable between a relatively flat configuration for storage and a set-up configuration for receiving articles.
In the field of transporting materials, generally there is a concern for minimizing weight while safely transporting the subject articles. When considering transportation containers themselves, the specific concerns are for minimizing the weight of the container while at the same time providing a container which is adequately strong and stable to receive and support the articles or goods of interest. The nature of such articles (for example, liquid verses solid) and their bulk and weight can make for certain required parameters for any container intended to handle specific items.
In general, the fewer materials utilized in fabricating a given container, the lower the weight of such container, as desired. However, it is also true, generally speaking, that the use of fewer materials can mean a less strong container.
One major approach to minimizing container weight while still providing adequate strength has been the use of boxes or similar receptacles constructed from containerboard, such as cardboard. Corrugated cardboard is widely known and used for added strength. Corrugated cardboard is a multiple layer product, such as opposing face layers glued to a fluted layer of cardboard or a heavy gauge paper therebetween. The size of the fluting may be varied to certain industry standards (e.g., A, B, C, or D size fluting) to achieve different thicknesses and different strength ratings.
Frequently, boxes or containers for products to be shipped or otherwise processed are formed or fabricated in a substantially permanent set-up or fixed configuration which is held together and sealed by staples, tape, glue, and/or other methods of closure. Upon arrival at the intended designation, such boxes must then be cut or otherwise opened in a manner such that reuse or reclosure is not intended or not possible without further staples, tape, etc. Once delivery of the subject articles is complete, such fixed form boxes are often "ripped" or cut down for folding or they are otherwise reduced to a relatively flat form to be discarded or to be hauled away for recycling or processing.
Certain specific transportation and/or handling needs have been heretofore addressed by specialized containers or carriers which may be folded from an initially relatively flat piece or pieces of material such as cardboard. Such pieces to be folded are generally referred to as blanks, and the folding process may either be substantially permanent (in which case the boxes would not be intended to be again unfolded) or it may be reversible (in which case the boxes would intend to be reclosed and reopened or unfolded). The following United States patents are listed as examples of such containers, and other forms of previously known containers, and the disclosures of all such patents are fully incorporated herein by reference. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 921,197 to Zell: U.S. Pat. No. 1,150,105 to Emmons; U.S. Pat. No. 1,700,758 to Berkowitz; U.S. Pat. No. 2,151,472 to Hubbard; U.S. Pat. No. 2,721,022 to Billerbeck; U.S. Pat. No. 2,874,870 to Collura: U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,769 to Horan: U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,167 to Schmidt; U.S. Pat. No. 4,728,025 to Oliff; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,991 to Schuster.
Another previously known foldable container not represented in the above-noted U.S. patents is fully shown by present Prior Art FIGS. 1A and 1B. Prior Art FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a partially folded Prior Art disposable container 10. An integral blank of containerboard comprising such container may be folded between a relatively flat configuration and a set-up configuration. A pair of opposing side walls 12 and 14 may be folded along respective proximal edges 16 and 18 thereof at which they are attached to a bottom wall 20. A pair of opposing end walls 22 and 24 are similarly foldably attached to bottom wall 20. Four pairs of gusset pleats generally 26, 28, 30, and 32 interconnect adjacent edges of adjacent side and end walls so as to form a seamless container interior portion whenever such walls are raised into positions respectively perpendicular to bottom wall 20.
Referring now to Prior Art FIG. 1B, an elevational view of side wall 12 is illustrated from the interior of container 10 whenever such is in a set-up configuration. For the sake of clarity in illustrating certain wall locking features, side wall 12 is shown in dotted line, while folded walls 26 and 32 are shown in solid line. An additional folding wall or member 34 is also shown in dotted line. More specifically, folding member 34 is attached to side wall 12 at a fold line 36.
Wall 34 has a distal edge generally 38 which is separated into three elements or portions 40, 42, and 44. As shown in Prior Art FIG. 1B, members 40 and 44 project without folding whenever wall 34 is folded flat along fold line 36 down against folded walls 26 and 32. However, member 42 includes a further fold line 46 (shown in dotted line) along which member 42 is folded underneath walls 26 and 32 (i.e.. between side wall 12 and folded walls 26 and 32).
As illustrated in Prior Art FIG. 1B, such fold line 46 intersects (i.e.. engages) folded walls 26 and 32 at contact points 48 and 50, respectively. Opposite wall 52 is provided with similar features such that an elevational view of side wall 14 similar to that of Prior Art FIG. 1B would appear the same, except it would involve folded walls 28 and 30 in place of walls 26 and 32. The purpose of such contacts is to maintain disposable container 10 in its setup configuration. While achieving such purpose to a certain extent, the engagement contact provided is between a linear surface 46 and two single points 48 and 50, which provides for a limited degree of securement.
Also, a certain degree of dexterity is required to make the necessary folds and flap placements when assembling container 10 into its set-up configuration. Such relatively difficult operation may be exacerbated whenever the user (i.e., purchaser) is relatively unfamiliar with the product. Such may frequently be the case for a first time or an occasional user who purchases the product as an impulse decision, or out of short-term necessity, for use as an ice cooler or similar container for perishables or beverages to be transported.
With respect to closure and carriage, the Prior Art FIG. 1A container 10 includes foldable top walls 54 and 56 which incorporate punch-out cardboard handles 58 and 60 which respectively coordinate whenever walls 54 and 56 are folded flat across the top of the set-up container 10.
In order to hold top wall 56 in place (assuming that top wall 54 is folded into a closed position prior to the folding of wall 56), curved tabs 62 and 64 are formed in positions lateral to that of handle 60. As shown in Prior Art FIGS. 1A and 1B, corresponding openings 66 and 68 may be formed in the top of the set-up container 10 for receiving tabs 62 and 64, respectively. A fold line 70 (shown in dotted line) is formed in top wall 56 to facilitate introduction of tabs 62 and 64 into their respective slots 66 and 68. While effective to a certain degree for closing the interior of container 10, such top wall features generally contribute little relative to the overall stability and strength of the container 10.
The Prior Art container 10 of FIGS. 1A and 1B may also be provided with an interior surface coating of a moisture barrier nature, such as Curtain wax or the like. Such wax inner surface and seamless interior construction permits use of disposable container 10 as a disposable cooler.
Relatively smaller (i.e., portable) coolers are also otherwise known in the art, such as formed from insulated hard plastic or self-insulating styrofoam or like foamed plastic materials. Such designs generally are of a fixed form and may have a completely removable lid or a pivoting lid associated therewith. Due to relatively high initial cost, such portable coolers would not normally be regarded as being disposable.